Monkey Hill (Khao To Sae)

This morning, as I started my day with my morning walk along the shores of Bang Tao Beach, just a few feet away from the place I feel lucky to have called home for the past six months, I approach the perimeter gate of my community, where I can take a path to the beach. I greet the gate guards, and they stand and salute as they raise the gate for me to exit.

It’s so unique to me, and it just reminds me that I am in Thailand. It energizes my mornings, and my favorite part of the day is my peaceful walk along the shore. Sometimes I take the opportunity to think; other times, I listen to music on my AirPods.

In the coming days, I have the trip to Singapore to look forward to, and in the coming weeks, my relocation to Hua Hin. I continue to preview properties, and as excited as I am about the next adventure, a part of my heart will certainly be left here on the island.

I took the opportunity to make the walk up Monkey Hill (Khao To Sae). I’ve made a Thai friend, Pipe (pronounced Piep), and was lucky that he was game to join. As you make the walk up the hill, there are long-tailed macaques lining the sidewalks, relaxing and socializing. I tried to be mindful of exactly how close I got, but most seemed completely unaffected. I did encounter one bad actor who approached me; stupidly, I tried to use my iPhone Pro Max (the big screen) to block him, and he tried to take it from me. It certainly elevated my heartbeat for a few minutes, but in the end, it gave me a great story and funny memory.

I have a few more places on my list that I want to experience while here on the island, but my next update will be my trip to Singapore this week.